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Aeschylus 
 
 Both these types of plays benefited greatly from the innovations in 
technique introduced by the fifth-century tragic playwright Aeschylus. His 
contributions to tragic Greek theater were so great that he is still remembered as the 
Father of Tragedy. An incredibly popular and original playwright, he introduced the 
idea of having multiple actors on the stage at one time, and pioneered the idea of 
using costumes and visual effects such as paintings and scenery. 
His work changed forever the way Greeks would view poetry and theater. 
Aeschylus was only the first of the great classic Greek dramatists. The generation 
that followed brought several other talented and powerful tragic playwrights. 
The most famous of these were Sophocles and Euripides. Both writers did 
much to expand the traditionally simple expectations of characters in plays. 
Sophocles’ plays feature incredibly strong-willed, modern characters who struggle 
with serious moral concerns, and Euripides wrote some of the most chilling 
psychological dramas of classical Greece.
His work—which deals with a wide range of theoretical concerns, such as politics, 
ethics, and the importance of friendship—is invaluable for modern scholars who 
wish to understand the ancient Greek mindset.
Sophocles
/ˈsɒfəkliːz/; Ancient Greek: Σοφοκλῆς, Sophoklēs is one of three ancient Greek 
tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those 
of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides. According 
to the Suda, a 10th century encyclopedia, Sophocles wrote 123 plays during the 

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course of his life, but only seven have survived in a complete form: Ajax, Antigone, 
The Women of Trachis, Oedipus the King,
Electra, Philoctetes and Oedipus at Colonus. For almost 50 years, Sophocles was 
the most-fêted playwright in the dramatic competitions of the city-state of Athens 
that took place during the religious festivals of the Lenaea and the Dionysia. He 
competed in around 30 competitions, won perhaps 24, and was never judged lower 
than second place. Aeschylus won 14 competitions, and was sometimes defeated by 
Sophocles, while Euripides won only 4 competitions. 
The most famous tragedies of Sophocles feature Oedipus and Antigone: they are 
generally known as the Theban plays, although each play was actually a part of a 
different tetralogy, the other members of which are now lost. Sophocles influenced 
the development of the drama, most importantly by adding a third actor, thereby 
reducing the importance of the chorus in the presentation of the plot. He also 
developed his characters to a greater extent than earlier playwrights such as 
Aeschylus.Sophocles, the son of Sophilus, was a wealthy member of the rural deme 
(small community) of Colonus Hippius in Attica, which was to become a setting for 
one of his plays, and he was probably born there. He was born a few years before 
the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC: the exact year is unclear, although 497/6 is the 
most likely.Sophocles' first artistic triumph was in 468 BC, when he took first prize 
in the Dionysia theatre competition over the reigning master of Athenian drama, 
Aeschylus. According to Plutarch the victory came under unusual circumstances. 
Instead of following the usual custom of choosing judges by lot, the archon asked 
Cimon and the other strategoi present to decide the victor of the contest. Plutarch 
further contends that following this loss Aeschylus soon left for Sicily. Although 
Plutarch says that this was Sophocles' first production, it is now thought that his first 
production was probably in 470 BC. Among Sophocles' earliest innovations was the 
addition of a third actor, which further reduced the role of the chorus and created 
greater opportunity for character development and conflict between characters. 
Aeschylus, who dominated Athenian playwriting during Sophocles' early 
career, followed suit and adopted the third character into his own work towards the 
end of his life. Aristotle credits Sophocles with the introduction of skenographia, or 
scenery-painting. It was not until after the death of the old master Aeschylus in 456 
BC that Sophocles became the pre-eminent playwright in Athens. 
Thereafter, Sophocles emerged victorious in dramatic competitions at 18 Dionysia 
and 6 Lenaia festivals. In addition to innovations in dramatic structure, Sophocles' 
work is also known for its deeper development of characters than earlier playwrights.